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3/31/2016 0 Comments Put on the brakes Have you ever looked at the calendar and wondered ‘whoa!, where has the time gone?’ I can’t believe we are already in April. I still feel as if Christmas just happened! This year has flown by for me. I’ve recently felt as if time is flying by so fast and I have so much I still haven’t done. I watch my kids develop and grow everyday, and every time I see them accomplish a milestone, my heart is filled with love, joy, but also sadness. Sad because I know they are growing up. I recently just signed my son up for the next school year, and that has made me both excited and nervous (lets just be honest- I’m crying on the inside!)  As our everyday life activities happen, I find myself catching and holding on to some special moments. I can see my kids walking forward with their speed on fast, and as their mother, it makes me proud, but also makes me sit back and cherish these moments I have with them now. People always use to tell me, ‘enjoy them, because they grown up so fast’. That is the honest truth. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in our lives and look to how we can better ourselves for our future that we forget to live in the present. I believe it’s important to look forward to your future, and work towards your goals in life, but it’s also just as important to slow down sometimes and take the time to enjoy today. We wont’ get back tomorrow and can’t predict what will happen in the future, so I encourage those who feel like your life is moving at lightning speed and always on the go, slow down, relax and don’t forget to enjoy today. Xoxo Sam 
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3/24/2016 0 Comments Coconut oil, worth the hype? It’s been all over social media, beauty gurus, and health articles. Today we are talking about coconut oil. I started to see this product appear a while ago, I read that it could be used as a healthier substitute to many things, but never really paid attention, or gave it a try. It wasn’t until just recently where I’ve been trying to find alternatives to ‘cheaper moisturizer’ options that I finally decided to give it a good chance. Let me just say, ‘where have I been!?’. You guys, this product has way surpassed my expectations and has given me so many options as to how I can use this product all around our life needs. These are just some examples of how I’ve tested and used this product. Beauty: Reviews would rave about this product. It claims to be a substitute for moisturizers and makeup remover. I’ve tried both of these out, and they work! I mean really work! I take a little bit in my hand, give it a little rub through my fingers, which melts it to become an oil consistency, then rub it on my face to remove my makeup. I can’t tell you how easy my makeup removed, especially my mascara, which is always the hardest part to remove. I wear contacts; so sometimes applying certain makeup removers will get into and irritate my eyes. This had no problem, after I rinse my face off with water, I cleanse it, and then used it once more as a moisturizer. It made my skin feel soft, hydrated, and best of all I knew exactly what was being put on my face! Sometime these beauty moisturizers get confusing with its ingredients, but with an all-natural substance as coconut oil, you don’t have to wonder. Continuing to buy overpriced beauty moisturizers can be expensive, and well I just get tired of spending that kind of money on it. This is a great alternative that is all natural, affordable, and naturally smells good. Keeping your skin healthy and moisturized will make for a glowing complexion, making it easier for makeup to be applied. *Note, if you are not a fan of coconut smell, you might not like this, it does carry a light coconut smell, but after a while, the scent tends to fade away. I’ve also seen it can be used as a hair mask and am excited to try this one out soon!  Kitchen: Coconut oil has so many health benefits and is quickly becoming a leaner alternative to other cooking oils and butter. I’ve only tested it out in stir-fry’s, and have no complaints. It gets the job done, and all in a healthier way. When my husband and kids don’t notice (and they notice every change in their food…lol) you know it’s a success! The last kitchen hack I’ve seen is replacing it as a coffee creamer. Well, I tried it, and while I’ll say that I did enjoy my cup of coffee with an added half a teaspoon in my cup, it can’t take the place of my favorite creamer. Yes, yes, I know, coffee creamers are not good for you, it adds sugar and I’ve been called not a real coffee drinker because I put so much cream, but it taste so good! So for now, I’ll stick to my creamer, and who knows, maybe in time, I’ll be able to cut out my creamer out all together…..that’s a big maybe, haha! My final thoughts on coconut oil are this: It’s affordable, it works, a little goes a long way, and I’m happy I finally invested my time into this product that can replace so many things in our everyday lives. There are so many other hacks that this can be used for! You can find it at almost every grocery store, and I would suggest going for an organic, extra virgin one. So what do you think? Would you give it a try?! Tell me what you think, or let me know if you have been using it and what other hacks you use them for! Xoxo Sam 3/17/2016 0 Comments Color code closet Do you ever see those celebrity closets and drool over the organization, neatness, and pleasingly aesthetic look to it all? Well I do, and I’m here to tell you that while my closet is a far cry from looking like a celebrity closet, I have a method to share with you all to give you your own ‘celebrity’ feel to your own closet. Coloring coding. I’ve been using this method in my closet for many years now. It has made my closet neater, simple, and less cluttered. Color-coding simple means arranging all similar colors together. So you would organize your whites with the whites, and black with blacks. I choose to go with a contrasting scheme, starting with the lighter colors on one end, and ending it with the darkest. Being able to see all my clothes sectioned off by color, keeps me informed about what I have in my wardrobe, and makes my wardrobe selection so much easier. If I’m feeling a certain color based on an event or my mood, I simple go to that section and pick my choice from that group. For those printed tops, well I simple pick the most dominant color base and add it to that section. This method keeps things easy and simple.
First step is to make piles of all the different color palettes you have in your wardrobe. Once you’ve done this, I like to then section my items by length. So within that color, I will place all the sleeveless shirts first, ending with long sleeve shirts. This is the most time consuming part of this method, and it may get overwhelming moving things back and forth, but it will be worth it. I too have some shirts that may not be in the exact correct color group, but the main factor is to build a pronounced color group, to make it easier when new items come into the closet to find its place. With moving so often, I’ve also found this helpful when unpacking my wardrobe into my new closet. It makes it quick to unpack, and keeps things looking the same as I had it before. So if you’re due for some spring-cleaning, or organizing your wardrobe, try this method out and see if it helps and works for you! I’ve even got my husbands side color coordinated too, which he appreciates! Xoxo Sam  3/10/2016 0 Comments Alter that fitIf you are short like me, well you know the struggles we go through trying to find a pair of denim that actually are the right length for us. I’ve been there, having to pass up a great pair (especially if you’ve found one on a wonderfully deep discount) but had to pass it up because it was way too long. I remember back in the day when dragging your jeans along tucked under you feet was the style. Especially growing up in Hawaii where you wear sandals all the time, I would end up tucking the excess length under my foot, dragging it along the floor and ended up getting holes and the edges became dirty. Well, I’ve outgrown that look, and found that finding the right length pants for your body is a better look, making you look and feel good.
As soon as I discovered how to alter and use a sewing machine in my college days, this is what I would do. It was easy for me to do, and now I could buy that pair I really wanted and not worry that it was too long for me, I had a way to fix that! So for those of you, who struggle with the length of pants like me, take the extra step in taking it to get altered to your height! It’s worth the extra step. That’s one fashion tip that everyone could use. If there’s a piece of clothing item that you really adore, or something doesn’t fit right, take that piece to get altered. They do sell petite fit pants, which have worked for me also. Depending on the cut and fit of the pair, don’t be afraid to try new silhouettes out, and alter it to fit your body specifically, this can make all the difference in the look! Xoxo Sam  3/3/2016 0 Comments A place in my heartHave you ever been to a place that just captured your heart? You know the saying, “you never knew you loved it until it was gone”, well this is exactly what happened to my husband and I after we moved away from the San Francisco area. Let me start by sharing with you all that my husband is a Marine, and yes, that means we are a military family who experiences moving every 3 years. In 2010, we were given an opportunity to fill a small spot in the Bay area. It was nice while we lived there, we had a very small military community, and so we were forced to live amongst the locals. So many fond memories happened there, I birthed my first child there, reconnected with old and developed new friendships, and just had an overall great experience. I love how we were given the opportunity to live there and experience all the things this city had to offer.  My husband was given an invitation for a work function in SF two weeks ago, so of course we packed up the car, the kids, and off we went. With the help of family who gave us a place to stay, we were able to make this trip happen, where we could visit this great city once again. We’ve visited many times since moving away, and every time is different. I am reminded every time about how much I love the city, the diversity, the hustle, the culture, and of course my friends. There’s just so many different areas to explore, discovering something new every time we go. For me, I think what makes a good experience every duty station we’ve been to is the area, the people, and the relationships I developed from there. So far, I’ve had good experiences at all our duty stations, but this particular one won my heart. I will always keep a special place in my heart for this city. I love how I can carry the memories with me, and always feel a sense of calmness and belonging when I go back. So till next time SF, you will stay in my heart until I can revisit! Xoxo Sam   |
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October 2018
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